Montpellier: Two men married each other in the southern French city of Montpellier on Wednesday, in the first same-sex wedding in a country rocked by protests for and against the reform.

Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau exchanged vows in the futuristic city hall before the mayor, relatives, friends and media as police stood guard outside to ensure the ceremony was not disrupted.

"It's a great pleasure for me to declare you married by law," said Montpellier's left-wing Mayor Helene Mandroux, as the couple embraced to a huge cheer from an audience of about 500.

On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of opponents of gay marriage flooded Paris in a rally that ended in clashes between police and hardliners. But protesters stayed away from the wedding in Montpellier, France's self-proclaimed most gay-friendly city.